Child taught with love learns genesis of genius

   Many mothers like ti think of their children as geniuses, but Julia Fekete has more reason than most. A the age of four her son Leslie speaks three languages. Beáta Pál went to meet her and find out her philosophy on educating him.
It is getting more unusual for a woman in our busy world to be ready to give up a promising career and devote all her time to being at home with her child Julia Fekete is just such a woman and the joyous mother of four-and-half-year-old Leslie.
Julia has an MA in economics, though she thinks that being a full-time mother is the most important thing at this time in her son's life. She exemplifies the basic fact that mothers are the world's best teachers and young children can learn virtually anithing that is taught to them in an honest, factual and loving way.
Julia shines whenever she talks to her blond, blue-eyed son. She gives full answers and explains everything Leslie is curious about.
" always give him a thorough answer. My secret is to go joyously like the wind and not to test" - she said.
In other words, she talks to him in a warm, relaxed and clear voice, employing a relatively complicated vocabulary for a four-and-a-half-year-old child. For example, when Leslie sees a Porsche (card and trucks are his favorite), she uses the world "burgundy" instead of simply "red" to describe it.
"I want to give him every opportunity to develop and let him experience constant stimulaton," said Julia
She never tells him not to disturb her because she always has time for hime and she never tests Leslie's knowledge. If he does not know the right answer Julia tells him with a smile so that he does not feel ashamed. She would not punish him with a question such as "What did I tell you five minutes ago?" This way he gains a sence of self-confodence, she explained.
Julia had preparde for motherhood, with her husband, using 40 years of experience and knowledge of the Philadelphia-based Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential.
The goal of the Institute is to significantly raise the ability of all children in intellectual, physsical and social realms. The organization takes children, regardless of their capabilities, and helps them advance in these areas to the full extent of the staff's knowledge, the parents' 

Aspirations and the child's potential.
Leslie was conceived in Hungary, just like his father, and born in North America. It was natural to teach him both English Hungarian, so both languages are his mother-tongue-spoken at the same level. He can communicate fluntla, switching from one language to the other, and he sometimes speaks French as well.
It has been proven that the first theree years of life are the most important for development. The child's brain is like a sponge during this period, capadle of taking in massive amount of information. The Institue concentrates on making the most of this optimal time in a child's life for assimilating information.
The Institute's program brings mothers and babies closer together because everything they do is with love and warmth.
Glenn and Janet Doman are the authors of several books dealing with the topic of how to teach babies to read, how to multiply their intelligence, give them encyclopedic knowledge and how to make them physically superb.
"I have read all those books and have applied their theories. The most important thing is that you have to live your child and teach him with loving care, " said Julia.
Leslie listined to classical music such as Mozart's The Magic Flute  while still in his mother's stomatch. Is stimulated him then and now Leslie plays the violin. He started taking Suzuki violin lessons at the age of three. The Japanese Suzuki blieved in early childhood music education and employed methods to keep children interested and occupied, even letting them play the violin whilr marching or lying on their backs.
" He did not want to put his violin down when we bought it for him and he has practiced with me every  day," Julia said.
Leslie has responsibilites, simple duties like watering plants or answering the phone.
"He can do these highly-responsible jobs and it gives him the sence of who he is - an important member of the household" said Julia.
Leslie can use tools easily and, for example, cuts with scissors, which is useful for his sence of balance.
It has been proved that physical education is as important as intellectual, so Leslie swims and runs several miles with his parents regulary.
The first six years of life are the genesis of a genius,when significant changes take place in brain development . Development of visual, auditory, tactile, mobilse, language and manual competence depends not upon genetic factors, but on the freqency, intensity and duration of simuli provided to the brain by the child's environment - the family.

Budapest Sun

A Day in the Life of a Proffesional Mother

  When mothers and fathers attend the How To Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence Course they are so many exciting and worthwhile things to teach their babies. Their enthusiasm builds throughout the week as they learn how to teach their children reading, math encyclopedic knowledge, physical excellence, music, and foreign languages.
And so by Friday afternoon when they are given the opportunity to ask questions of the Evan Thomas Institute mothers, one of the most common questions is "Could you please describe a typical day at your home?"
At first the mothers simpla smile as they recall when they took the course and wondered how all of these subjects-plus the everyday challenges of life-could possibly fit into a day. Then a mother, usually one that has a few young children, will calmly list their basic activities on a normal day.
Of course, very few days with young children can be called normal, and a mother must be organized enough to have a daily plan yet flexible enough to change every bit of it if her child or the events of the day demand it.
What would a good workable daily schedule look like? For the answer we went to two very experienced professional mothers, Rosalind Doman and Carol Newell. Both mothers have three Children- one a full-time member of the International School, the second a parttime member of the school, and the third on a full home program.
Rosalind Doman chronicled for us a typical spring day, when her two youngest children (Spencer 6 years, and Morgan 18 monts) had just switshed from doing their wintertime Primary Human Development Course (creeping and crawling) to a springtime program of running and gymnastics.
Because ten years old Marlowe is in school between 8:30 a.m.and 4:00 p.m., his home program takes place before and after those hours.
Carol Newel also let us in on a typical day with her three children. She chose to descibre a summer day, when all three children are at home. Ben is nine years old, Shayna is seven years, and Mary is ten monts old.
For parents just beginning to organize a daily home program, or those who have begun but are wondering how to expand the daily program, this is their chance to see truly professional mothers at work.

Reprinted from The IN-REPORT Ápril/June 1994